[DBR96A]

Some of this is copied-and-pasted from the I-185 topic, but here's a more comprehensive list of road and highway improvements I'd like to see in the state of Georgia...

I-785 (the upgrading of GA 316)

- Controlled-access for its entire length
- Four lanes in each direction between I-85 and Harbins Road (near Dacula)
- Three lanes in each direction between Harbins Road and the Oconee Connector
- Four lanes in each direction between the Oconee Connector and the Athens Perimeter
- New "flyover" interchange between I-785 and the Athens Perimeter
- Three lanes in each direction on the Athens Perimeter between I-785 and U.S. 78 "east" (Lexington Road)

I even have the exit guide outlined...

I-785 EASTBOUND

EXIT 0 - Boggs Road
EXIT 2 - Sugarloaf Parkway
(Discover Mills)
EXIT 4 - Riverside Drive
EXIT 5 - GA 120: Duluth/Lawrenceville
EXIT 7 - To GA 20/GA 124: Collins Hill Road/Buford
(Mall of Georgia)
EXIT 9 - Cedars Road
EXIT 11 - U.S. 29 South/GA 8 West: Dacula/Lawrenceville
EXIT 13 - Harbins Road/Dacula
EXIT 15 - Drowning Creek Road
EXIT 17 - Kilcrease Road
(Auburn/Carl)
EXIT 18 - Patrick Mill Road
EXIT 20 - GA 81: Winder/Loganville
(Fort Yargo State Park)
EXIT 22 - GA 11: Winder/Monroe
EXIT 25 - GA 53: Winder/Watkinsville
EXIT 29 - GA 211 North: Statham
EXIT 31 - Craft Road
EXIT 33 - McNutt Creek Road/Bogart
EXIT 35 - Business U.S. 78 East/U.S. 78 West/GA 10: Bogart/Monroe
EXIT 37 - Jimmy Daniel Road
EXIT 38 - Oconee Connector/Watkinsville
EXIT 39 - U.S. 29 North/U.S. 78 East/Loop GA 10/GA 8 East (ATHENS PERIMETER): Athens/University of Georgia
(To U.S. 129/U.S. 441/GA 15)
(Epps Bridge Parkway: USE THRU LANES)

I-785 WESTBOUND

EXIT 38 - Oconee Connector/Watkinsville
EXIT 37 - Jimmy Daniel Road
EXIT 35 - U.S. 78 West/Business U.S. 78 East/GA 10: Monroe/Bogart
EXIT 33 - McNutt Creek Road/Bogart
EXIT 31 - Craft Road
EXIT 29 - GA 211 North: Statham
EXIT 25 - GA 53: Watkinsville/Winder
EXIT 22 - GA 11: Monroe/Winder
EXIT 20 - GA 81: Loganville/Winder
(Fort Yargo State Park)
EXIT 18 - Patrick Mill Road
EXIT 17 - Kilcrease Road
(Auburn/Carl)
EXIT 15 - Drowning Creek Road
EXIT 13 - Harbins Road/Dacula
EXIT 11 - U.S. 29 South/GA 8 West: Lawrenceville/Dacula
EXIT 9 - Cedars Road
EXIT 7 - GA 20/GA 124: Lawrenceville/Buford
(Mall of Georgia/Collins Hill Road)
EXIT 5 - GA 120: Lawrenceville/Duluth
EXIT 4 - Riverside Drive
EXIT 2 - Sugarloaf Parkway
(Discover Mills)
EXIT 0 - Boggs Road

Any road that currently intersects GA 316 that is not listed on the exit guide above gets a simple overpass with no access to I-785.

I-175 (resurrected)

NORTHERN TERMINUS: I-75 near Cordele
SOUTHERN TERMINUS: I-10 near Tallahassee, FL
OTHER TOWNS SERVED: Albany, Camilla, Thomasville

I-185 extension (Chattahoochee Expressway)

NORTHERN TERMINUS: I-85 near LaGrange
SOUTHERN TERMINUS: U.S. 98 near Panama City, FL
OTHER TOWNS SERVED: Columbus, Eufala (AL), Dothan (AL)

The new extension of I-185 would cut through Fort Benning, then cross into Alabama about five miles south of Fort Mitchell National Cemetary, and roughly follow the path of AL 165 south to near Eufala, where it would then follow roughly the path of U.S. 231 south to the Gulf coast.

U.S. 129/U.S. 441 improvements

Currently, both highways are being widened to four-lane "arterials" between Athens and I-85, but are still only two lanes when they multiplex between Athens and Eatonton. This stretch of roughly 50 miles needs to be windened to a four-lane arterial very soon, since the road is essentially carrying the traffic of two major federal routes.

U.S. 129 between Eatonton and Gray should be widened to a four-lane arterial as well, as should U.S. 441 between Eatonton and I-16 near Dublin.

The former would accomplish the following functions:

- Greatly improve travel times between Athens and Macon
- Improve safety on what is otherwise a dangerous, winding, two-lane road
- Provide a nearly uninterrupted travel route for University of Georgia students from middle and south Georgia

The latter would accomplish the following functions:

- Greatly improve travel times between Athens and Savannah
- Improve access between Dublin and I-16
- Provide a nearly uninterrupted travel route for University of Georgia students from southeast Georgia and the "Gold Coast"

U.S. 78 improvements

U.S. 78 needs to be widened to a four-lane arterial between Athens and Thomson. This would create an effective "shortcut" between Athens and Augusta, eliminating the need to access either city via Madison (at the junction of U.S. 129/U.S. 441 and I-20).

U.S. 25/GA 67 improvements

U.S. 25 needs to be widened to a four-lane arterial between Augusta and I-16 near Statesboro. Also, GA 67 should become a controlled-access highway between I-16 and Statesboro. These two improvements together would accomplish the following functions:

- Greatly improve travel times between Augusta and Savannah
- Greatly improve access to Statesboro
- Provide a nearly uninterrupted travel route for Georgia Southern University students from east Georgia, as well as Savannah and the "Gold Coast"

U.S. 84 improvements

U.S. 84 needs to be widened to a four-lane arterial between Valdosta and Jesup. This would greatly improve travel times between Valdosta, Waycross, Savannah and the "Gold Coast"

GA 31/FL 145 improvements

GA 31 and FL 145 (they meet at each other's state line) needs to be widened to a four-lane arterial between Valdosta and I-10 near Madison, FL. This would create a faster, more effective "shortcut" between Valdosta and I-10 westbound in Florida.

Fellow Georgians, feel free to comment on my ideas, or add road/highway improvements of your own!

[Marypearl]

The improvement I would most like to see is a four lane connecting Macon to Jacksonville and the East coast of Florida. This could be accomplished by widening US 23 from its junction with I-16, 6 miles South of Macon to it's junction with Ga 96 at Tarversville, a distance of about 20 miles. The next 13 miles to Cochran are already undivided four lane. The two lane bypass around Cochran which is about 4 miles long needs to be widened but South of Cochran to the Dodge-Bleckley County line US 23 is already 5 lanes (2 lanes northbound a center turning lane and two lanes southbound) .
Widening should continue to the junction with US 341 ( The Golden Ilse Parkway) at Eastman, a distance of 14 miles.
US 23 and US 341 are already divided four lanes for 45 miles from Eastman to Hazelhurst. The only additional widening needed would be 17 miles from Hazelhurst to the junction with US 1 seven miles north of Alma. US 1 and 23 are divided four lane from this point around Waycross and through Folkston to the Southern terminus of US 23 at it's junction with I-95 in Jacksonville.

For additional widening of only about 50 miles we get a direct multi lane hiighway from Jacksonville to Macon and on to Atlanta via I-75